Can body maker



W. E. TAYLOR Dec. 15, 1931.

CAN BODY MAKER Filed May 9, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 l INVEIOE B 2 wank? 'ATTORNEYS w. TAYLOR I 1,836,201

. CAN BODY MAKER Filed May 9. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

ATTORNEY5 15, 1931 AYL R 1,836,201

CAN BODY MAKER I Filed May 9. 1927 a sheets-sheet s INVENTOR Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM E. TAYLOR, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO A.MERIGAN' CAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY CAN BODY MAKER Application filed May 9, 1927. Serial No. 188,831.

This invention relates in general to a simplified apparatus for making can bodies from at sheet metal body blanks, and more particularly to the elimination of certain form-. ing operations in the body maker by notching and ed ing the blanks before they are fed to the bofy making machine. v

The principal object of the invention is in the provision of a simplified apparatus for feeding partially prepared blanks to the body maker and completing the forming operations.

A further important object of the invem tion is the provision of a body maker of this type in which the actual formingoperations are reduced, permitting the notching and edging of a blank at some other place apart from the body maker itself.

properly edged to form the so-called lock and lap seam, this view illustrating a blank as it appears when presented to the body maker involving this invention. a

Fig; 2 is a side elevation of a can body forming mechanism embodying this invention and connected with a typical form of side seam soldering machine;

Fig. 3 is a plan of. the paratus;

Fig. 4 is a section through the forming mechanism, taken substantially on the line body forming ap- 4-.4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-section partly in elevation of a typical interlocking and fina'l seam forming mechanism as employed in connection with this machine.

.In the art of manufacturing sheet metal can bodies, as disclosed in John F. Peters Patent No. 1,625,091 of .April 19, 1927, for can body making machine, it is customary to automatically feed blanks cut to proper sizes from the bottom of a stack or magazine, and to subject the'blanks first to a notching operation, then feed them to a former where the blank is bent into annular form, thence subject them to an edging operation where the hooks for interlocking are produced, thence feed them to an interlocking mechanism Where the hooks are united, and finally to the bumping station where a secure side seam is formed. This interlocked body is then moved over the soldering mechanism as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the present case, and thence through subsequent operations to form a complete can.

The present invention simplifies the apparatus of the above patent, by partially preparing the can blank which is fed to the machine, so that the notching and edging operations are not performed by the body maker, but may be done elsewhere, thus eliminating a large part of the automatic mechanism from the body making machine and correspondingly simplifying the mechanis'm and operation thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a table- 10 for the body forming mechanism is supported by suitable legs 11 from a floor or base 12. Extending above the table is a support or bracket 13 upon which' guides 14 are adjustably secured to permit can blanks to pass therebetween upon a conveyor belt 15 which passes over a pulley 16, the opposite end of the belt passing over any suitable companion pulley (not shown), and'the can blanks being fed thereto in any suitable manner.

Each of the can blanks 17 is formed with suitable notches 18 and 19- and end hooks 20 and 21 bent in opposite direc ions from the can-body and adapted to cooperate to interengage in forminga complete can bc :ly. The blanks 17 thus formed with the notches and end hooks are prepared separately and away from the body former of this application by any suitable apparatus not forming a part of the present invention.

After thus previously forming the blanks 17 they are fed endwise from the conveyor belt 15 upon a portion of the bracket 13 and between feeding rollers 22 and 23. These rollers are both of flexible material, such as rubber or the like, or the same result can be obtained by using a solid roller and having one of the rollers mounted under tension to permit passageof the forward hook 21 at the end of the blank 17 between the forming rollers 22 and 23. These rollers are driven continuously at a high rate of speed in any suitable manner, as for example by means of an independent electric motor 24 mounted on the table 10 and having a driving chain 25 connected with either one of the shafts 26 and 27 upon which the rollers 22 and 23 respectively, are mounted, the other roller belng driven eitther through a geared connection or by contact with the other one where the rollers are of flexible or yielding material, such as rubber or the like.

When the forward end of the blank 17 is drawn through the rapidly rotating rollers 22 and 23, it engages a forming block 28 adjustably held on the upper surface of the bracket 13 by a bolt 29. The blank 17 is given a suitable bend by cooperation of the rollers 22 and 23 and the forming block 28 and passes around a horizontal forming horn 30 suitably supported above the table 10. A pair of guides 31 and 32 are pivoted on a shaft 33 extending longitudinally over the forming horn 30 and mounted at the end in a bracket 34 suitably supported from the table 10. These guides 31 and 32 extend partially around the horn and form a confining space for the blanks as they move around the horn 30 from'the forming rollers 22 and 23. V

After the blanks 17 are positioned about the horn 30 they are moved longitudinally along the horn by means of feed bars 35 seated in recesses in the horn and carrying spring-fp'ressed dogs 36 which engage the rear edge 0 the blanks to move them intermittently in one direction, the dogs passing beneath the blanks without moving them in the other direction of movement of the bars 35. In moving the blanks along the horn 30 the are restrained from outward movement an from disen agement with the horn by means of guide Ears 37 extending lengthwise of the horn at a slight distance therefrom. and held in dplace by guides 38 and 39 similar e holders 31 and 32 which are v to the gui also pivoted to the overhead rod 33.

The blanks are fed intermittently alon the horn 30 and beneath the guide bars 3 until they reach an interlocking and finishing station, as illustrated more clearly in Fig. 5. The forming horn 30 at this station able inwardly has side clamping members 40 which are movon bars 41 to engage the opposite sides of the can body in proper timed stituting no part of the relation. The can body is further locked in position on the horn by a clamping head 42 and the clamping members 40 are operated in succession and in conjunction with interlocking levers 43 and 44, so that one of the end hooks 21 of a can blank 17 is placed in position against the horn and the other hook 20 is moved by the lever 44 and the corresponding clamping member 40 into hooking engagement therewith. After the edges have n properly interlocked the seam is closed by means of a bumping hammer 45 mounted in a slide 46 which clamps the hooked edges together against the lower side of the horn 30.

As the specific mechanism for advancing the blanks upon the horn, for restraining and guiding the blanks in their position upon the horn, and for interlocking and finally completing the interlocked joint of the blanks is fully described in the John F Peters Patent No. 1,625,091, above referred to and conresent invention, except in combination wit the other novel features herein described, it is believed that no further description of these mechanisms and the means for operating them need be supplied.

As'shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, a drive shaft 47 is mounted in brackets 48 extending from supports 49 extendin upwardly from the table 10. This sha receives power from any outside source, as through a pulley 50 carried thereby. The drive shaft 47 is connected to a horizontal shaft 51 by interengaging spur gears 52 and 53 mounted on the shafts, respectively. The horizontal shaft 51 is connected in turn to a main shaft 54 suitably mounted in bearings below the 54 is a fly wheel 58 and intermediate the ends is a driving sprocket 59 connected by means of a sprocket chain 60 with a sprocket 61 mounted on a horizontal shaft 62. This shaft has a crank 63 connected with suitable mechanism (not shown) for reciprocating the bars 35 in advancin the blanks 17 along the born 30. Suitable rivin mechanism is also provided for operating 't e interlockin and final closing devices, as shown more of in Fig. 5, the details of this operatin mechanism not being illusrtated in detai in the present case.

The drive shaft 47 is also connected to a soldering machine designated generally by the numeral 64 by means of a sprocket 65 on the shaft, 8. sprocket chain 66 cooperating therewith, a driving mechanism 67, and another sprocket chain 68 connected from said mechanism directly to the soldering machine 64. Between the body forming machine and the. soldering machine is a fluxing bath 69 having roller contacts 70 for engaging the early I seams of the blanks 17 as they pass to the soldering machine.

With this construction the blanks completely notched and edged are fed endwise, one at a time, upon the belt 15 and engaged between the flexible rollers 22 and 23 which give sufficiently to allow the hooks 21 and- 20, at the ends of the blanks 17 to pass between the rollers without closing or otherwise damaging the hooks. The blanks are partially formed upon the horn-30 by the rollers and the forming block 28, and after being positioned upon the horn each blank is advanced intermittently by the feed bars 35 until it reaches the interlocking and final closing station, where these operations are performed as described. The movement ofthe blanks along the horn is then continued and if an hermetic seal is desired the completed seam is soldered by the side seam soldermg machine in a well known manner.

'It is thought that this invention and many I of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that many changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. machine for making can bodies, comprisin a horn upon which the bodies are forme means for advancing body blanks along the horn, and means for feeding blanks to the horn comprising a pair of rollers having yielding surfaces.

2. A machine for making can bodies, comprising a horn upon which the bodies are formed, means for advancing can blanks along the horn, and means for feeding partially formed blanks to the horn, said means comprising a pair of feeding rollers formed of flexible material so that a partially formed blank will pass therebetween without damaging the blank.

3. A machine for making can bodies, comprising a forming horn, means for feeding partially formed can bodies to the horn, said means comprising rollers having flexible surfaces between which partially formed can blanks will pass without deformation by the rollers, means for advancing formed blanks along the horn, and mechanism for closing the seam and finishing it in one operation upon the horn.

4. A machine -for making can bodies, comprising a forming horn, means for feeding can blanks with notched and hooked ends thereto, said means comprising flexible rollers between which can blanks will pass without deforming the end hooks, means for confining the formed blanks upon the horn, in- 5 termittent means finally closing foradvancing the formed blanks along the horn interengaging the hooked ends and finally closing the seam at a single station along the horn.

5. A machine for making can bodies, comprising a forming horn, means for intermittently advancing a blank along the horn, mechanism for interlocking hooked ends and the seam of the horn,rollers having yielding surfacesfor feeding a can blank with hooked ends around the horn, and a conveyor for moving the blanks into engagement between the said rollers.

6. In a machine for making can bodies, a forming horn, means for intermittently advancing can blanks along the horn, mechanism for interlocking and finally closing a seam at a single station upon the horn, and feeding mechanism for notched blanks with hooked ends, said mechanism comprising a pair of flexible rollers and a conveyor for moving can blanks with hooked ends between ,the rollers, the rollers giving sufiiciently to prevent deformation of the hooked. ends of can blanks passing therebetween.

7 A machine for making can bodies, comprising a forming horn, means for advancing can blanks along the horn, a feeder for notchedcan blanks withv hooked ends and having faces of yielding material for engaging said blanks, said feeder positioning the partially form'ed blank upon the horn, and mechanism for engaging a can blank upon the horn, interengaging the hooked ends and finally closing the seam thus formed in a single station along the forming horn.

8. In a machine for making can bodies, a forming horn, means for feeding can blanks ,with notched and hooked ends about the horn, said means comprising a pair of flexible rollers between which the hooks of a' can blank will pass without deformation, 'ustable forming block for engagin a can lank after it passes the rollers to iend it upwardly about the horn, and a belt conveyor with lateral guides to advance can blanks endwise between the rollers.

, WILLIAM E. TAYLOR.

a blank upon an ad- 

